2. Franks/Lundberg

3. WWhich of the following statements best explains how the planets of the solar system formed? A. They are condensed rings of matter thrown off by the younger Sun. B. They are the remains of an old exploded star that was once paired with our Sun. C. The Sun captured them from smaller, older, nearby stars. D. They formed out of a nebular cloud of gas and dust, just like the Sun.

4. BBefore humans visited the moon and brought back lunar rocks, the age of the moon was unknown. However, we now know through the dating of the oldest lunar rocks that the Moon is close to… A. 186,000 years old B. 6.5 billion years old C. 4.4 billion years old D. 15 billion years old

5. AAn astronomer notes the change in position of Mars over the course of several nights and concludes that Mars orbits the Sun once every 400 Earth days. This figure is considerably lower than the 687 Earth days that is accepted by the scientific community. This scientist should… A. Publish the findings to reveal the scientific communities mistake. B. Form a hypothesis that explains how Mar’s orbit can vary so greatly. C. Repeat his experiment, gather a new set of data and see if his results remain the same. D. Add 287 days to the accepted figure of Mar’s orbit.

6. AAbout 99.8% of all the mass in the solar system exists in …. A. Planets B. Asteroids C. The Sun D. Empty space

7. WWhich of the following planets was recently demoted to “dwarf planet” due to its irregular orbit, and the fact that it has not cleared its own path around the Sun? A. Saturn B. Pluto C. Mercury D. Neptune

8. SSmall bodies that orbit the planets are called… A. Comets B. Protoplanets C. Moons D. Asteroids

9. TThis planet orbits the Sun the fastest, is riddled with craters, and has the highest temperature range in the solar system due to a lack of an atmosphere. A. Mercury B. Venus C. Earth D. Mars

10. WWho proposed the heliocentric model to our solar system, in which the planets revolve at different speeds around the Sun in their orbits A. Galileo B. Copernicus C. Kepler D. Newton

11. TThe diameter of Saturn is almost 10 times that of Earth’s, however Saturn is so light in weight that it would actually float in water. Which statement below best explains this? A. Saturn is farther from the Sun than Earth B. Saturn is a gas planet C. Saturn rotates faster than Earth D. Saturn is denser than Earth

12. WWhich statement is most true regarding the inner planets? A. They are mainly made out of solid rock B. They are called terrestrial planets C. They do not have rings D. All of the above

13. MMany of the planets and moons in the solar system are covered in craters. These impact craters are evidence of… A. Solar bursts B. Changes in atmosphere C. Exploding volcanoes D. Past collisions with asteroids, comets, and other objects in space

14. WWhich of the following planets experiences constantly hot surface temperatures due to a runaway greenhouse effect in this planets atmosphere? A. Uranus B. Venus C. Earth D. Mars

15. TThe asteroid belt of our solar system exists between which two planets? A. Mars and Jupiter B. Jupiter and Saturn C. Neptune and Pluto D. Earth and Mars

16. AA region of our solar system just beyond Neptune’s orbit which contains small bodies of ice and rock that was leftover when our solar system formed is called… A. The outer universe B. The Kuiper Belt C. The asteroid belt D. The Quasar Zone

17. WWhich of the following planets has just the right conditions for water to exist as solid, liquid, and gas? A. Venus B. Mars C. Uranus D. Earth

18. EEarths interior is one example, the solar system is another; in both of these systems the denser material sank to the center of gravity, while the lighter material migrated away from the center of gravity. Both of these systems are influenced by gravity and the process called… A. Differentiation B. Settling C. Dispersion D. Layering

19. TThe hypothesis that states that the Sun and the planets both formed out of the same cloud of gas and dust is called the… A. Copernicus hypothesis B. Nebular hypothesis C. Solar hypothesis D. Galileo hypothesis

20. AAn astronomical unit is used to measure distance. One astronomical unit equals.. A. The speed of light B. The average distance between the Earth and the Sun C. The length of the solar system D. The diameter of the Sun

21. LLight speed most accurately measures… A. Time B. Distance C. Gravity D. Density

22. TThrough the process of differentiation the Earth’s interior formed different layers. This layer is both Iron and Magnesium-rich, and is directly below the Earth’s crust but above the Earth’s liquid outer core. This layer is called the: A. Atmosphere B. Hydrosphere C. Inner core D. Mantle

23. WWhich planet contains the highest volcano and the deepest, longest canyon in the solar system, and also has similar seasons to Earth? A. Jupiter B. Venus C. Mars D. Mercury

24. WWhen Earth originally formed 4.6 billion years ago it most likely lacked this atmospheric gas which is necessary for life. A. Hydrogen B. Helium C. Nitrogen D. Oxygen

25. EEarth’s first atmosphere most likely contained these two gases. A. Hydrogen and carbon B. Hydrogen and helium C. Nitrogen and carbon dioxide D. Nitrogen and oxygen

26. TThrough the process of outgassing, Earth’s early atmosphere evolved from a hydrogen/helium atmosphere to an atmosphere dominated by these gases. A. Nitrogen and oxygen B. Nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor C. Potassium, iron, and magnesium D. Hydrogen, helium, and carbon

27. WWhich factor lead to the emergence of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere about 2.5 billion years ago? A. Photosynthesizing plants and bacteria B. Outgassing volcanoes C. Comet impacts D. Insects and animals

28. OOne difference between the terrestrial planets and the outer planets is… A. There are lifeforms on all the terrestrial planets while the outer planets have no life B. Terrestrial planets consist mainly of rock, while the outer planets consist mainly of gas C. The terrestrial planets all have liquid oceans, while the outer planets all lack water D. Terrestrial planets are bigger than the outer planets

29. TThis scientist/astronomer came up with the scientific laws of gravity and inertia. A. Newton B. Copernicus C. Galileo D. Kepler

30. FFrom the most dense to the least dense, what is the order of the three main layers inside the Earth A. Mantle, core, crust B. Core, mantle, crust C. Crust, mantle, core D. Mantle, crust, core

31. WWhat planet was originally formed from the lighter gases in the outer part of the nebular? A. Mars B. Mercury C. Venus D. Uranus

32. WWhich planet rotates on its side, most likely due to an impact with a large object? A. Venus B. Uranus C. Saturn D. Mars

33. WWhich of the following planets appears blue due to all the methane gas found in this planets outer atmosphere? A. Mars B. Venus C. Jupiter D. Neptune

34. WWhich planet is known for its Giant Red Spot? A. Mars B. Earth C. Jupiter D. Saturn

35. WWhich planet contains more mass than all the other planets combined? A. Jupiter B. Saturn C. Earth D. Mercury

36. WWhich planet is best know for its complex ring systems? A. Uranus B. Saturn C. Mercury D. Jupiter

37. AAll the planets revolve around the Sun in… A. Perfect circles B. Squares C. Ellipses D. Retrograde orbits

38. TThis planets rotates the slowest of all the planets in the solar system. Additionally it rotates clockwise, a retrograde (backwards) motion to all the other planets. A. Mercury B. Venus C. Earth D. Mars

39. WWhich of the following planets would have the most moons? A. Earth B. Venus C. Mars D. Jupiter

40. TThis astronomer is responsible for discovering the laws of planetary motion and the fact that the planets have elliptical orbits. A. Kepler B. Copernicus C. Galileo D. Newton

41. IIn an area where a river has cut deep into Earth’s crust, there are several different rock layers that have been exposed. The oldest layer is most likely to be… A. Below the other layers B. The thickest layer C. The layer most rich in fossils D. A layer of igneous lava rock

42. WWhich of the following theories is most accepted regarding how Earth got its moon? A. The moon is an asteroid that was captured by Earth’s gravity B. Dr. Carpenter told the Moon to “keep it simple” and ever since, we have had a moon C. The Earth and the moon formed at the same time, 4.6 billion years ago D. The moon formed when a Mars sized planet hit the Earth about 4.5 billion years ago

43. TTechnology that has been developed in astronomy, like satellites, has also been useful in… A. Transportation technologies B. Communication technologies C. Industrial technologies D. All of the above

44. AAn astronomer points a laser at the Moon’s surface and takes daily readings of how long the laser takes to bounce off a reflector on the moon back to Earth. Over the course of 5 years the scientist observes that the laser takes a slightly longer period of time to get to the moon and back every day. What would be the best conclusion that this scientist can make from this experiment? A. The moon is slowly moving farther away from the Earth B. The moon is slowly moving closer to the Earth C. The moon will eventually blow up and disappear D. None of the above make any logical sense

45. OOur solar system came into order under the process of differentiation; however, it is the processes of gravity and _________ that maintains this order. A. Cycles B. Convection C. Inertia D. Solar radiation

46. WWhich of the following most accurately describes the “Goldilocks Zone” regarding planets and stars? A. It is a zone around our Sun where life is possible B. Within this zone water can exist as solid, liquid, and gas C. The Goldilocks Zone depends on the brightness and temperature of the star in any given solar system D. All of the above are correct

47. SScientists observe that the Giant Red Spot on Jupiter appears at the same exact spot on Jupiter’s surface every 9.9 Earth hours. Which of the following statements best supports this observation? A. Jupiter is a gas giant B. Jupiter rotates on its axis faster than Earth C. Jupiter is bigger than Earth D. Jupiter orbits faster than Earth

48. MMoon rocks have been dated to 4.4 billion years old, while the oldest rocks ever dated from Earth’s crust are only 3.5 billion years old. Which of the following statements is most accurate regarding this observation? A. The moon is older than Earth B. The Earth, through plate tectonics, gradually recycles the rocks of Earth’s crust C. The moon is geologically dead, so the surface of the moon has remained the same longer than Earth’s constantly changing surface. D. Both B and C are correct statements

49. TThis term describes a planet’s revolution around the Sun. A. Rotation B. Revulsion C. Orbit D. Cycle

50. MMercury and Venus are also called the Morning and Evening Stars. This is because they can only be seen in the night sky just before sunrise and just after sunset. Which statement below best explains why this is the case? A. Mercury and Venus orbit much farther from the Sun than the Earth B. Venus and Mercury’s atmospheres are both only detectable when they appear low in the sky on Earth C. Venus and Mercury’s orbits are much closer to the Sun than Earth’s orbit. Therefore they are much closer to the Sun, and can only be observed from Earth during these times. D. Venus and Mercury actually are stars

51. WWhich statement about the planets is false? A. They orbit the Sun B. They create their own light C. They are sometimes observed moving backwards across the night sky from Earth. D. They all spin on an axis at different speeds

52. WWhich one of the following gases makes up the majority of Venus’s thick atmosphere? A. Carbon monoxide  CO B. Methane gas  CH4 C. Water Vapor  H2O D. Carbon Dioxide  CO2

53. TThese are the two most abundant (a lot of) elements in the solar system. A. Carbon and oxygen B. Sulfur and nitrogen C. Nickel and iron D. Hydrogen and Helium

54. EEarth’s second atmosphere of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and oxygen is directly linked to this geological process. A. Fusion B. Stabilization C. Outgassing D. Fissures

55. AAround 4 billion years ago Earth’s thick atmosphere, rich in water vapor and carbon dioxide resembled the atmosphere of this planet today. A. Earth B. Mars C. Mercury D. Venus

56. FFrom about 3.5 to 2 billion years ago Earth’s atmosphere gradually became richer in oxygen. Which of the following factors caused this to occur? A. Outgassing volcanoes B. Changing weather patterns C. The emergence of simple plant life D. The emergence of human beings